Municipal Partnerships for Violence Prevention in Central America and the Dominican Republic (AMUPREV) Quarterly Report – April - June 2019

The program, led by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), aims to foster the development of regional peer knowledge networks and provide training and technical assistance to local governments and community groups. ICMA has worked with key institutions in the region to promote the creation of municipal-led mechanisms to provide leadership in bringing together key stakeholders to design and implement crime and violence prevention programs. A Toolkit for municipalities has been developed to facilitate the creation of municipal violence prevention committees/commissions (MVPCs). The Toolkit has been implemented in 19 municipalities, and municipal partnerships have been established with cities in the US to share the model of community-oriented policing and governance. Through these partnerships, police officers, municipal staff, community, and private sector representatives from US cities have provided information, training, and technical assistance to their counterparts in Central America. The lessons-learned and knowledge gained from the municipal partnerships have been shared with the broader network through the AMUPREV website. ICMA has also provided support to municipal associations in each of the countries where direct municipal interventions have taken place, promoting the sharing of information and replication of the methodology. In the current reporting period, April-June 2019, ICMA conducted a series of trips to the region, including visits to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. These trips focused on promoting the creation of municipal-led mechanisms to provide leadership in bringing together key stakeholders to design and implement crime and violence prevention programs. ICMA also engaged in outreach activities with key institutions in the region, including the Municipal Association of Indigenous Authorities and Mayors (AGAAI) and the Guatemalan Municipal Association (ANAM). The program has achieved significant progress towards its objectives, including the establishment of regional peer networks and the provision of training and technical assistance to local governments and community groups. The Toolkit has been widely adopted by municipalities in the region, and the municipal partnerships have resulted in the sharing of best practices and the replication of successful models. In the next quarter, July-September 2019, ICMA plans to continue its efforts to promote comprehensive municipal-based violence prevention strategies and programs with key Central American stakeholders. The program will focus on the implementation of the Toolkit in additional municipalities and the expansion of the municipal partnerships with cities in the US. ICMA will also continue to provide support to municipal associations in each of the countries where direct municipal interventions have taken place, promoting the sharing of information and replication of the methodology. The program has received funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through a Cooperative Agreement Award No. AID-RLA-A-00-09-00050. The program is managed by ICMA, with the support of a team of experts and local partners. The program's progress is monitored and evaluated through regular reporting and evaluation activities.